Vehicle atmospheric suspension system



Jan. 29, 1946. w. H. TAYLOR 2,393,942

VEHICLE ATMOSPHERIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM Filed D60. 11, 1944 I 2 SheetsShe et 1 AINVENTOR' ATTORNEY Jan. 29, 1946. W.VH. TAY'LOR 2,393,942

' VEHICLE ATMOSPHERIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 11,1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR. W/.'///'am H. Tay/or ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 29, 1946 OFFICE VEVHICLE ATMO srmmrc SUSPENSION SYSTEM William H. Taylor, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 11, 1944, Serial No. 567,772

4 Claims. (Cl. 280-,104)

My invention pertains to a supporting and shock absorbing system for automotive and other types of vehicles.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved system for more effectively absorbing and/or equalizing. all road shocks imparted to the wheels by rough road surfaces before these shocks are transmitted to the vehicle chassis or body.

It is also an object of my invention to provide improved vehicle supporting and shock absorbing means wherein a partial vacuum is produced and utilized in such a manner that the atmospheric pressure is applied for carrying the load.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a vacuum suspension system for automotive vehicles wherein thevacuum may be effectively created and maintained even if there is a tendency to lose the partial vacuum due to slow leaks or absorption.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of the invention, such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawings disclosing specific embodiments of the invention, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a side-elevational view, broken away] and sectioned, and partially diagrammatic, rep-' resenting an automobile vehicle provided with support means in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a single chamber with operative connections;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similarly to Fig. 2 but showing a different arrangement embodying a plurality of suspension chambers;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially diagrammatic, showing how the system may be connected for independently mounted wheels;

Fig. 5 is a plan view partially broken away for showing the construction of an expansible chamber provided for use in my automobile suspension system;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view on line 1-1 showing the re-enforced construction of one of the rigid walls of the expansible chamber.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have illustratively disclosed my invention as applied to an automotive vehicle com prising a chassis II with an internal combustion engine [3 mounted therein, and having an intake. manifold 15, in a usual manner. The chassis is carried by usual road wheels l1, and it may carry any conventional body l9, suitable for transportation of passengers or merchandise.

In'accordance with my invention I support the vehicle chassis and body by atmospheric pressure through the use of vacuum chamber means 20. In one embodiment of my invention this is accomplished by a chamber which may comprise two walls 2| of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid construction, joined and sealed around the edges by flexible sealing means 23, whereby the two walls may be moved apart or together to vary the volume of the enclosed space, and hence the partial vide the desired leverage ratio between the opposite ends of the pairs of levers. One end of one lever of each pair is connected to one of the sidewalls 2l of the expansible chamber through relative movement means 29, which is represented as a linkage. The other corresponding lever end of each pair is similarly connected to the other wall 2| of the chamber through a link 3l.' The installation of the other two ends of each pair of levers consists in substituting these for the usual springs as by connecting through links 33 and 35 to the chassis, and to the road wheels respectively. The upper links 33 may be pivotally attached to anchor plates 34 mounted at suitable points on the bottom side of the chassis frame. The lower links 35 may swing from anchor plates 31 clamped or bolted to the under sides of the front and rear axles 39 and 4| respectively.

As straight levers would be inconvenient to arrange and connect, each lever 25 preferably has jacent levers are broken away in Fig. 1. When a single vacuum suspension'chamber is to be used,

as shown Figs. 1 and 2, of a square or rectangular,

conformation, one pair of levers is conveniently connectedto each corner of each wall.

If, due to slow leakage atmosphere tends to.

enter the chamber and destroy the partial vacuum'caused by the weight of the vehicle body, this is readily corrected by jacking up the body or 1 chassis while opening a valve 43 to release some presentedtbwaid'jtheadjacent s c- (it the cuter} wall. The outer edges of 'th gasket 6! arefirml'y nected from the chamber into the intake manie fold I 5, as shown in Fig. 1, with slack 41 provided suitable to permit movement ofjthegchiamberjrelag" tive to the Vehicle.

The connections of the supportingends or .the levers 25 between the vehicle body and the wheels is readily adaptable to suit Various difierentkinds; of automobiles, as will be readily understood, it being in general a matter of connecting "these e .v h Y e la eth prlessan to 'i l the. ads. v u ly. e iqd h r by- Fig: represents a well known type ofindep nd-l ent wheel mounting. Whichusually is provided ith 9 l s '4 L r sented i d t fidlines, e een wa lat v ly.inq amei be a Q a i a nd have 1 W. y, m'zvl n lthe. 91 Sn t s'jt p nbii e n "es an s. or. anair itt v rs. 5' mama ybstiwtea 1. p ac r. i i 'ee' y l. lxame e. i reas flw w plis'hed by scii r ing, a sjbys'crews 5?, to relatively mova e me bs fej e'ai qflan qr. lat s to I he. r psi dsei thelere lz a e 121v.- d l ephhsctea ,tl ro hthg l n iilancl a1- liflks h vmfiisd QrT. cemm r.

.. i i li jt 1.3 1. the; amber. n t .4.,-

W st latidn dv '7 h w he construct on of.

.9, x ge neja t'a s 9. ana nitfi i v cla p t er n, 'as s 'isbrewsfi6 passin therethfouhf Oiiterjedge's f n.1 e'erwan.

preferably off-set "by a thickness"bfl'thel-easket and the clamp'ring so that a "substantially continuous "plane surfa'c secured and sealed around t e inside of the marginal flange-5910f the outer? wall; 53, "'ajs by-a seal i ringffiLlwliich may befirn'ily' clampeddt'hereon, by'i AS- showmthe .0L1terwall is provide'diwith aqn e cou screW. or. other suitable 'fast'en'ingtnea i i i d ha mar ina flange.

i hem aleqscs lfl ha nn r;

" chamber.

fillpeqr e ndvca ryi asaid v hicle may, ex-

Rmi p amber means ,hayingvsubstantialfatl m s h r L r9aa an ural tvm Pairs of..

in-the inner Wall for the purposes previously de-' scribed. But these may be mounted in either wall for c onvenience, as preferred, 1110; support and attachmentlinto'the sy'js msuitablejpairs of attachment lfigs T3 are provided iir'oj'ec'ting from the respective relatively movable walls of the Each lug which moves the inner wall may project from. a bracket 15 which is secured to; and extends out from the inner wall and each lug to the outer wall may be on the end of a bracket 11 securedwhereto. To provide rigidity qr serni rigidity; both walls may be reenforced by beamsls such as structural steel in the form of' a'ngle iron, for example, extending in spaced relation; along the sur fa ces of thesewalls, as h a' -i n o. w ich t achmen may be'made'as by spot welding. v:

Itis apparent that within these pe of; my invenfio d at ons a .d er ntar ansement may be made other than herein disclosed, and the present disclosureis' illustr Z H inv ntiori' com rehendin ariat qesther g l What I'claim'is:

.1. A vehicle atmospheric, suspension system comprising, a "vehicle body,- a plurality of road means, relativemovementmeans connecting one.

lidi 1 6 6 0f achpa v QW StQone side f a d.- rpan bl i hamber;me n c ela iveemover ment mean connecting. each othercorresponding.

adjacent lever end in each pairofdevelfi. toxth I Qt r idepi' a d xpansible chamber mean and relative movement means. connec n e th r. o nds f, a h. pa r ev rs respectively to the said vehicle body. andto .d wheels 130.5111

pjqrt mem'dv by ureinesaidwn mp r means, to xp n edi n it ni A veh cleatmosph ri uspensicnsystemm accordancewith claiml and further character.- izediby d; 631 3 1 2 6 cham ehmean omprise ir'ig one hambe vinstwo. .walbjoinedblflexe e fielitl mean t mainta napa tial. vacuum therein. 7

n autcm tiva. oad... vehicl omprisin a eh' 1e body, a .int rnal ombustionen i el aw in'gjari'. intalg manifold a plurality. of roaiclgwhfeels levers, means pivotall oiningthentwoleyers.of; each p irat inter Q1a ..p.0.r.tions,. of the layers for' relative movement imSQiSSQ -S fashion; rela-ftive ni ove ment m eans connecting one end; of onei pairotleversto one side of :said l l la ivl mwfimfintmeansgcon 't l aphvpfiher cor es ond n adjacent le end in each pair of levers to the other sidelof.

d h er n lat ve. ;m0vement me n cohhecting'the other two ends of each pairgof.

levers respectively to. the, said vehicle, bpdyand ai 'w 'sl i' fi me9 thabqqy.. v reing th 

